This invention relates to a product and method for pre-emptive potential in remediation of oil spills. The invention is more particularly concerned with methods for both installing such a product into a body of petroleum at the wellhead source, in a pipeline or a cargo hold or storage tank, or at some other step as desired during the process of bringing the petroleum from its source to market, before a spill occurs, and recovering said product if a spill does not occur. The product embodying the present invention consists of a novel capsule, coated pellet, (The term xe2x80x9cpelletxe2x80x9d) herein also refers to spheres, irrespective of the various techniques utilized to produce said pellet or sphere, or capsule) or pod, any of which may incorporate a time releasant formulation and which also contain micro-organisms capable of consuming hydrocarbon materials, which micro-organisms are released when the capsule or pellet is exposed to an aqueous environment. The product may also contain magnetic or paramagnetic or other materials which may affect the density of the capsule or pellet and also provide for its recoverability.
1. The Field of Invention
Oil spills have become disastrous to the environment. Such spills are generally treated through physical containment of the spilled oil and removal, using mechanical techniques, such as containment rings and vacuum removal systems. Other means for treating such spills include direct application to the spill of dispersants and application of bioremediation agents, such as aerobic micro-organisms, enzymes and nutrients. These methodologies have been used with varying degrees of effectiveness, depending upon many variables, such as the size and depth of the spill, as well as its location and accessibility, the speed with which it develops and travels, the configuration of the spill, whether the spill is at the surface or submerged in the water, the environmental risk to land and sea life, including wildlife, the turbulence of the waters containing the spill, as well as many other factors and considerations. Limited success in adequately dealing with such spills evidences the need for a product and method for dealing with an oil spill promptly, irrespective of its location, configuration and accessibility, with minimum disruption to the environment, in an economical manner, and through use of a universal system which is not dependent upon the variables of the spill.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The concept of bioremediation of oil spills is well known in the prior art. For example, Gatt et al teaches treating oil spills with dispersants by applying liposomes to water for forming a monomolecular layer of phospholipid molecules which break up layers of oil into droplets taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,244,574, and to enhance biodegradation of organic wastes by increasing the availability for enhanced bacterial interaction as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,401,413. Gatt et al in U.S. Pat. No. 5,510,112 also suggests a composition for enhancing such biodegradation of organic wastes.
In U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,415,661 and 4,415,662 Thurumalachar et al suggests degradation of land or seaborne spills by use of microorganisms or enzymes, or with the use of carriers or detergents, without deleterious effect. Guttag et al in U.S. Pat. No. 3,860,490 teaches a process of subjecting microorganism susceptible material to a microorganism, with controlled time or quick release bioremediating agents. Cunningham U.S. Pat. No. 5,340,376 discloses controlled release microbe nutrients and a method for bioremediation through the use of such enhanced organisms. DiTuro (in U.S. Pat. No. 5,275,943) and Felix (in U.S. Pat. No. 5,443,845) have provided timed-release coated tablets and the like for biological degradation of organic material which dissolve over time when placed in an aqueous environment.
Other prior art patents of interest pertinent to the subject of this application are McKinney et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,843,517, Marconi et al U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,042,495 and 4,087,356, and Schlaemus et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,348,803.
These patents relate to the treatment of oil spills with dispersants and microorganisms, as contained in oil insoluble and water soluble capsule or pellet forms. Such dispersants are usually intended to keep the dispersant on the surface of the oil spill, and all of them deal with materials which are applied after the spill occurs. None have any means for recovery of the materials capable of treating an oil spill but which have not actually been called into use for that purpose.
This invention adds pre-emption, reclamation and reuse, not taught by the prior art. Additionally, the invention uses anaerobic micro-organisms (such as vibrio desulfuricants) for remediation of submerged petroleum products, which anaerobes result in an overall exponential increase in speed of remediation, and also adds versatility to the art of remediation as applied to the inadvertent release of petroleum products into an aqueous environment during transport or storage, or to an intentional release of oil products, which also requires remediation.
The use of such anaerobic micro-organisms offers bioremediation to those petroleum products which sink below the surface of the water, and often to the floor of the sea, where known application techniques for remediation do not reach submerged oil spills.
Pre-emption is achieved by incorporating within the petroleum products, before a spill occurs, remediating agents contained in capsules, coated pellets, or pods having cores of varying densities. Such agents are inert and inactive when encapsulated or within the coated pellets, but are activated when not in the encapsulated environment. These encapsulated or pelletized agents are preferably dispersed throughout a body of petroleum. The capsules or pellets may be installed into the petroleum (The terms xe2x80x9cpetroleumxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cpetroleum productxe2x80x9d, and xe2x80x9cpetroleum massxe2x80x9d are synonymous with one another unless otherwise indicated) at the wellhead or in a pipeline, in a cargo hold, at a refinery or at any desired location during the processing and transport or storage of the petroleum product.
Preferably, these capsules or pellets are reclaimable when not activated and may be reused. Such reclamation may be accomplished through magnetic (utilizing either ferromagnetic, diamagnetic or paramagnetic materials, or a combination of some or all of them) separation, centrifugation, filtration, electrostatic or ionic precipitation, vaporization, or heat or vacuum distillation or a combination of such techniques. The capsules or pellets may be constructed to permit ease of reclamation and reuse.
Capsules or pellets with a core containing micro-organisms, surrounded by time dissolvable layers of nutrients and other enhancements, may be compounded using prior art skills and formulations. Such capsules, pellets, or pods of varying sizes and/or densities, so as to embody the present invention, may also be novelly compounded to include iron or other compound [within either the capsule, pellet, or pod core and/or their surrounding (encapsulating) material or coating (pellet)], so as to permit the capsules, pellets, or pods to be varied in density, preferably to approximate the density of the petroleum product in which they are placed, and to encourage their removal from a body of petroleum by the techniques described above, when desired. The capsule, pellet or pod may also be sprayed with an aqueous soluble electrostatically charged material, or marked with material having magnetic, electrostatic, or electro-conductive properties. The core or encapsulating material or coating may also be either fabricated with gas bubbles, or contain evacuated or gas filled glass beads (bubbles or beads of varying sizes), so as to affect the density of the capsule or pellet. These capsules or pellets may also contain water or other aqueous solutions to be time released so as to activate release of micro-organisms when oil transport (e.g.pipeline) occurs under arid (e.g. desert) conditions to aid remediation of a petroleum spill or discharge into a non-aqueous environment.
Preferably, such capsules, pellets, or pods contain micro-organisms, both aerobes and anaerobes or either of them.
In summary, this invention teaches: first, a methodology of preemption through the introduction of remediating agents into the petroleum product before a spill occurs; second, time or controlled release remediating agents encapsulated or pelletized as products of varying densities to provide for relatively even dispersal throughout the petroleum product; third, remediating agents which may include magnetic or similar materials, or means permitting the removal of unused remediating agents from a body of petroleum product which has not been subjected to aqueous environment; fourth, including anaerobes for the metabolism of submerged petroleum products, (which disperse throughout the petroleum bulk to exponentially increase the overall rate of bioremediation); and, fifth, time release of aqueous components within the product to effect remediation of spills into non-aqueous environments.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a pre-emptive bioremediation product of the character described for treating oil spills and discharge of petroleum based products.
Another object is to provide a method of the character described for pre-emptive remediation of oil spills and discharge of petroleum based products.
Another object is to provide a method for remediation of an oil spill which includes the step of installing a bioremediation agent into a contained body of petroleum before a spill or discharge occurs, the agent for bioremediation being activated upon contact with an aqueous environment.
Another object is to provide a method for remediation of an oil spill which includes the step of installing a time release aqueous solution into a pre-emptive bioremediation product so as to provide for remediation in the event of a spill or discharge into a non-aqueous environment.
Another object is to provide a method for remediation of an oil spill which includes the step of installing a time release aqueous solution into a pre-emptive bioremediation product so as to provide for remediation in the event of a spill or discharge which submerges below the water surface or sinks to the floor of the body of water.
Another object is to provide a pre-emptive method for remediation of an oil spill which includes the steps of fabricating a bioremediation agent for treating the spill with a component which facilitates easy removal of such agent when unused.
Another object is to provide timed and controlled release micro-organisms which are contained in products constructed of varying densities and sizes and which may be dispersed throughout a body of petroleum.
Another object is to provide a timed and controlled release micro-organism product which contains iron particulates, weighted or similar material or materials containing electrostatic or electro-conductive properties capable of use in separating such products from a body of petroleum by magnetic separation or similar techniques, or by centrifugation, precipitation, filtration, vaporization, heat or vacuum distillation, or a combination of these techniques.
Another object is to provide a timed and controlled release micro-organism product which contains ingredients for sustaining the micro-organisms before they are released into an petroleum spill or discharge.
Another object is to provide a timed and/or controlled release micro-organism product which contains catalytic ingredients for enhancing anaerobic bioremediation of an petroleum spill or discharge.
Another object is to provide a timed and/or controlled release micro-organism product which contains catalytic ingredients for enhancing aerobic bioremediation of an petroleum spill or discharge.
Another object is to provide a pre-emptive remediation method and micro-organism product for use in such a method which is efficient and economical.
These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as this description proceeds, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.